Method of establishing bleed lines on printing surfaces



Oct. 8, 1940. o. R. HUGGINS 2,216,832

METHOD OF ESTABLISHING BLEED LINES ON PRINTING SURFACES v 7 Filed larch 26, 1938 Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES METHOD OF ESTABLISHING BLEED LINES ON PRINTING SURFACES Owen It. Huggins, South Norwaik, Conn., assignor to Linotone Corporation, a corporation of New York Application March 26, 1938, Serial No. 198,220

, 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of etched printing surfaces, and it is concerned, more particularly,-with the production of etched printing surfaces by photo-mechanical methods 5 for printing on textiles and the like.

Various photo-mechanical methods have already been proposed for producing such printing surfaces, but these methods have met with little or no success from a commercial stand-- 10 point, as evidenced by the fact that, in general,

such surfaces are still being produced by the old and well known pantograph method, which method is a long, tedious, and expensive operation, particularly when the design is made up of 15 a multiplicity of design elements.

The present invention aims to avoid these biectionable factors, and to so simplify the operation that such printing surfaces maybe produced speedily, accurately, and at little expense go as compared with the more complicated procedures heretofore employed.

For a complete description as to how the improved process is carried out reference may be made to the accompanying drawing wherein the 28 design to be etched on the printing member is shown, by way of example, as consisting of a circle. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the production of this particular design on a printing member, but is v :0 applicable as well to the production of othe designs.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus employed in practicing the invention; 35 Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a positive of a design element mounted on thecopy a board of the apparatus;

Fig. 3 and Fig. 3a are diagrammatic views showing a developed marginally reduced negative of the design element created when the copy board is revolved the first time and with a light sensitive member mounted in juxtaposition therewith;

4 is a diagrammatic view showing themaru a ginal band created on the light sensitive memher when the copy board is revolved the second time;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a screen interposed between a light sensitive member and 50 a developed marginally reduced negative of the design element prior to the exposure to light; and,

, Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View showing the effect obtained after the light sensitive member is is developed.

In practicing this invention, a positive I 0 comprising a full-size non-light reflecting reproduction H of a given design element on a light reflecting surface 12 is created either by hand or by photography (see Fig. 2). The positive is 5 then mounted on a copy board 13 which, as shown in Fig. 1,,is positioned before the lens of a camera 14, and light from any suitable source is directed against it. The copy board i3 is then moved edgewise and revolved in a circular path, 10 as indicated in Fig. 2; and while the positive is revolving a transparent member I coated with a light sensitive emulsion which is positioned in the camera is expo*d thereto to create on the member a light or 'ected reproduction I! of 15 the design element 1L duced marginally a distance equal to the r is of the circular path through which the posits tails of the method of and means for so creating a marginally reduced reproduction reference may go be made to my co-pending application Serial No. 146,218, filed June 3, 1937, issued as Patent No. 2,191,483, Feb. 27, 1940.

The light sensitive member it is then removed from the camera and developed to render transg5 parent the marginally reduced reproduction H which remained unaffected during exposure, andto render opaque that portion it outside the transparent reproduction i! which was subjected to the action of light during exposure (Fig. 3). The developed light sensitive member or negative I5 is then put back in the camera in its original position and the copy board .83 is moved back to its original position to bring the marginally reduced transparent reproduction Q1 of the de- 83 sign element on the negative 55 exact register with the nomiight reflecting reproduction ll of the element on the positive iii. A second light sensitive membe it inserted the camera behind and in in the negative 15, and the copy it evolved a circular path but at a sligi t pose to the action of and within the transparent rep odnctior on the nega tive 15. The marginal b nd thus being boundary of the tra cnt, permits the reflected light which str. ea it to through onto the second Eight sensitive member 58, and, as a result, a marginally reduced reproduction of the design element is created on thesecond light sensitive member 18 having a light uninfected central portion bounded by a narrow light affected band 19 (see Fig. 4) which defines the outline of the marginally reduced reproduction I! on the u first mentioned light sensitive member or negative IS.

A film screen 20 is then interposed between the negative l5 and the undeveloped light sensitive member l8 (Fig. 5) and the light sensitive member I8 is exposed through the screen and through the transparent marginally reduced reproduction I! of the negative ii to a plain light reflecting surface (not shown) positioned between the lens of the camera. l4 and the positive IO. After being thus exposed the second light sensitive member I8 is removed from the camera and developed.

As shown in Fig. 6, the second light sensitive member 18 thus developed comprises a transparent background 2| having an opaque band I9 created thereon which defines the outline of the marginally reduced reproduction l1 and a plurality of alternate transparent and opaque strips 22, 23 which extend across the area defined by the band 19. The developed member I8 is then placed in intimate contact with a light sensitive coating on a printing member and subjected to the action of light. The printing member is then developed to fix the areas exposed to the action of light, washed, and subjected to the action of acid to etch out the unaffected areas. In consequence, a marginally reduced reproduction of the design element is created on the print ing member wherein the outline of the element is defined by a color carrying groove and that portion bounded by the color carrying groove is made up of color carrying cells or pockets and unetched areas which serve to support the doctor blade during a printing operation.

While in the above described method the screen is photographed onto the light sensitive member 18 after the marginal band l9 has been formed, equally favorable results may be obtained by photographing it onto the light sensitive member before the band is formed. In addition a number of different type screens may be employed. For example, a half tone screen may be employed in which case the screen would be positioned before the negative l5, instead of being positioned between the negative l5 and the light sensitive member [8 as is the case when a film screen is employed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In the process of producing printing surfaces, the steps which include creating a positive having a full-size non-light reflecting reproduction of a design element on a light reflecting background, creating a negative having a transparent marginally reduced reproduction of said element, exposing a light sensitive member to said positive through said transparent reproduction, revolving said positive during said exposure in a circular path tocreate on the member a marginally reduced reproduction of the design element having a light unaffected central portion bounded by a light affected marginal band, and then developing said member.

2. In the process of producing printing surfaces, the steps which include creating a positive having a full-size non-light reflecting reproduction of a design element on a light reflecting back ground, creating a negative having a transparent marginally reduced reproduction of said element, exposing a light sensitive member to said positive through said transparent reproduction, revolving said positive during said exposure in a circular path to create on the member a. marginally reduced reproduction of the design element having a light unaffected central portion bounded by 8.

light affected band, photographing a screen on said central portion, and then developing the member.

3. In the process of producing printing surfaces, the 'steps which comprise creating a positive having a non-light reflecting reproduction of a design element on alight reflecting background, exposing a transparent light sensitive member to said positive, revolving said positive during said exposure in a circular path to create on the member a marginally reduced light unaffected reproduction of the element bounded by a light affected area, developing said member to create a negative having a transparent marginally reduced reproduction of the element bounded by an opaque area, exposing a second light sensitive member to the positive through said transparent reproduction, revolving said positive during said second exposure in a circular path having a radius greater than the radius through which it was revolved during the exposure of the first mentioned light sensitive member to create on the second light sensitive member a light affected band which defines the outline of the marginally reduced reproduction, and then developing said member.

4. In the process of producing printing surfaces, the steps which comprise creating a positive having a non-light reflecting reproduction of a design element on a light reflecting background, exposing a transparent light sensitive member to said positive, revolving saidpositive during said exposure in a circular path to create on the member a marginally reduced light unaffected reproduction of the element bounded by a light affected area, developing said member to create a negative having a transparent marginally reduced reproduction of the element bounded by an opaque area, exposing a second light sensitive member to the positive through said transparent reproduction, revolving said positive during said second exposure in a circular path having a radius greater than the radius through which it was revolved during the exposure of the first men tioned light sensitive member to create on the second light sensitive member a light affected band which defines the outline of the marginally reduced reproduction, photographing a screen on that portion of the second light sensitive member outlined by said band, and then developing said second mentioned light sensitive member.

5. In the process of producing printing surfaces,

the steps which comprise creating a positive having a non-light reflecting reproduction of a design element on a light reflecting background, mounting said positive on a copy board positioned before a camera, exposing a transparent light sensitive member in the camera to the positive, revolving the copy board in a circular path during said exposure to create on the member a marginally reduced light unaffected reproduction of the element bounded by a light affected area, removing the member from the camera and de veloping it to create a negative having a transparent marginally reduced reproduction of the element bounded by an opaque area, replacing the negative in the camera with the marginally reduced reproduction in exact register with the nonlight reflecting reproduction of the element on the positive, positioning a second light sensitive member in the camera behind and in juxtaposition with the negative, exposing the second mentioned light sensitive member to the positive through the negative, revolving the copy board during the exposure of the second light sensitive member in a circular path having a radius greater than the radius of the circular path through which it was revolved during the first mentioned exposure to create on the second light sensitive member a light affected band which defines the outline of the marginally reduced reproduction, and then developing the second mentioned light sensitive member.

6. In the process of producing printing surfaces, the steps which comprise creating a positive having a non-light reflecting reproduction of a design element on a light reflecting background, mounting said positive on a copy board positioned before a camera, exposing a transparent light sensitive member in the camera to the positive, revolving the copy board in a circular path during said exposure to create on the member a marginally reduced light unafiected reproduction of the element bounded by a light affected area, removing the member from the camera and developing it to create a negative having a transparent marginally reduced reproduction of the element bounded by an opaque area, replacing the negative in the camera with the marginally reduced reproduction in exact register with the nonlight reflecting reproduction of the element on the positive, positioning a second light sensitive member in the camera behind and in juxtaposition with the negative, exposing the second mentioned light sensitive. member to the positive through the negative, revolving the copy board during the exposure of the second light sensitive member in a circular path having a radius greater than the radius of the circular path through which it was revolved during the first-mentioned exposure to create on the second light sensitive member a light affected band which defines the outline of the marginally reduced reproduction, photographing a screen on that portion of the second light sensitive member outlined by said band, and then developing the second mentioned light sensitive member.

OWEN R. HUGGINsi CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,216,882. October 191m.

' OWEN R. HUGGINS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows: Page 1, second column, line 11.6, strike out the words "boundry of the" and insert the same before "transparent" in line 111;; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of November, A. D. 191+O.

Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,216,882. October a, 191m.

owEN R. HUGGINS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, sec- 0nd column, line 11.6, strike out the words "boundry of the" and insert the same before "transparent" in line M and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 5th day of November, A. D. 191w.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

